Italy | Pompeii | Thermal Baths | Jan 2016

The "thermae" were the city's public baths. There were relatively few private baths and these were limited to the most well-to-do families, given that the latter were the only ones who could afford to build rooms suited to the purpose. The thermal baths included latrines and, in the most developed type, a pool and gymnasium. They were often furnished with open spaces and gardens. The system of heating the rooms - which was fairly ingenious -worked by running heated water through the cavities in the wall. The Thermae were not only buildings used for a function of public utility, but also played a very important social role in that they provided an important place for people to meet.